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Women Spies in World War II #2
The Flames of Resistance
As the free world crumbles beneath Hitler’s jackboot, the French Resistance is depending on these women to change the course of history...Francine Agazarian never imagined herself as a spy, but when her husband Jack asks her to join him in the Special Operations Executive (SOE), she can't say no. But Francine soon discovers that being an enemy agent in Nazi-occupied France is even more dangerous than she expected. Can she convince Jack to return with her to the safety of England before it’s too late?For Andree Borrel, the fight against the Nazis is personal. As she rises to a leadership role in a critical espionage network in France, she knows that every move counts. But when the network catches the eye of Hitler himself, Andree and her team find themselves in a fight for their lives.As the SOE’s eldest woman recruit, Yvonne Rudellat has plenty of experience. Her job is to rendezvous with the newly landed agents and assist them in starting their missions. But one newcomer threatens to destroy everything she’s worked so hard to accomplish.Noor Inayat Khan may have been born a princess, but she's willing to risk everything to help stop Hitler. When she's sent into France as the first female wireless operator, Noor knows that the odds are against her. Will she be able to outwit the Gestapo or fall prey to them?If you like Ken Follet's Jackdaws, Kate Quinn's The Alice Network, and Sarah Rose's D-Day Girls, you won't be able to put down this meticulously researched tale of love, honor, and deception. Pick it up today!
428 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 1, 2021
635 people are currently reading
458 people want to read
About the author
Kit Sergeant
17 books97 followersLike her character Addy in Thrown for a Curve, Kit has a practically useless degree in marine biology. A teacher by profession and at heart, she loves to impart little-known facts and dares you to walk away from one of her "light-hearted" chick-lit books without learning at least one new thing. Kit's female leads are all intelligent, strong, and stand fine on their own... but then again, a Prince Charming waiting in the background is always appreciated. As long as he puts the toilet seat down.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 7, 2021
Very good book
Impossible to put down. This series is suberb. The Author is a true storyteller with never a dull moment. If you are interested in WW 2 and what an impact the resistance made in France these books are for you. Can't wait to read the next one in the series.
Impossible to put down. This series is suberb. The Author is a true storyteller with never a dull moment. If you are interested in WW 2 and what an impact the resistance made in France these books are for you. Can't wait to read the next one in the series.
August 11, 2021
Ordinary Women who did Extraordinary Things and who sometimes paid the Ultimate Price
The tension never lets up for a minute in this story of four women of F Section (French Section) of the British government's Special Operations Executive (SOE):
Andrée Borrel, who became second-in-command, under Francis Suttill, of the Prosper Network,
Yvonne Rudellat, the oldest woman of F Section, who served as a courier for Prosper,
Noor Inayat Khan, a shy woman, a Muslim princess, whose instructors didn't think was qualified to be an agent, She was the first wireless operator sent to occupied France,
and Francine Agazarian, who reluctantly joined SOE at the encouragement of her husband, Jack, who was a wireless operator for Prosper.
I had never heard of SOE until I read the author's The Spark of Resistance last year, and I was inspired and fascinated by the women - civilians, not fully trained - who were sent to France to play a deadly game against all odds. The expected life of a wireless operator was six weeks. Many of the women had been recruited because they had been born in France, or lived there, and were fluent in the language. It was thought that women could travel as couriers better than men, who were always in danger of being picked up for the labor camps.
Heeding Churchill's call to "Set Europe ablaze" - to establish a resistance network in German-occupied Europe, SOE was created to conduct espionage, sabotage and reconnaissance. British officers were sent to set up networks, or circuits, consisted of a leader, a courier, and a wireless operator. The agents recruited French (in this book) civilians to act as saboteurs, couriers...provide a place to stay or store weapons...and to stand in a field holding tiny flashlights to guide a plane for an air drop of supplies and weapons...
This is the fourth book I've written by the author. I thought "Spark" was the most suspenseful, but "Flames" had me rushing to read what happened next while, at the same time, afraid of what happens next as the shadow of the Gestapo loomed large on every page.
The risks were real - SOE trainees were told the average time an agent survives in France is three months. Informers (even inside the network) were everywhere, Vichy sentries were everywhere, German soldiers were everywhere. Radio operators constantly had to move to avoid the Gestapo spy-catchers.
This book focuses on the Prosper Network, the largest circuit in France. Agents had to cross France from Paris to the Spanish border, and members numbered over 10,000.
The collapse of the Prosper Network - the capture and death of Major Francis Suttill, his agents, and thousands of civilian members, remains among the unsolved mysteries of World War II. We'll never know how much was caused by treachery from inside Prosper, by SOE in London - Major Buckmaster, head of F Section (who neglected to heed so many warnings that his agents had been compromised)... There were rumors that London had offered up Prosper to the Nazis to cover up their plans for the D-Day invasion.
By the end of the war, most of the women of F Section sent to France were missing. Vera Atkins, Buckmaster's assistant, spent almost all of 1946 in France and Germany, attempting to learn the fate of every one of these women who had lit The Spark of Resistance and continued to stoke The Flames of Resistance.
Every agent sent far from home to a lonely fight, cut off from family and friends, should be remembered - their stories must be told, and this book tells them eloquently. I strongly recommend it, and can't wait for the next book. I was an advanced reader for this book and bought a copy to share with friends I've discussed it with. The author's style of writing makes me care about these people and want to know more about them.
As they say, ordinary people doing extraordinary things. The Greatest Generation.
The tension never lets up for a minute in this story of four women of F Section (French Section) of the British government's Special Operations Executive (SOE):
Andrée Borrel, who became second-in-command, under Francis Suttill, of the Prosper Network,
Yvonne Rudellat, the oldest woman of F Section, who served as a courier for Prosper,
Noor Inayat Khan, a shy woman, a Muslim princess, whose instructors didn't think was qualified to be an agent, She was the first wireless operator sent to occupied France,
and Francine Agazarian, who reluctantly joined SOE at the encouragement of her husband, Jack, who was a wireless operator for Prosper.
I had never heard of SOE until I read the author's The Spark of Resistance last year, and I was inspired and fascinated by the women - civilians, not fully trained - who were sent to France to play a deadly game against all odds. The expected life of a wireless operator was six weeks. Many of the women had been recruited because they had been born in France, or lived there, and were fluent in the language. It was thought that women could travel as couriers better than men, who were always in danger of being picked up for the labor camps.
Heeding Churchill's call to "Set Europe ablaze" - to establish a resistance network in German-occupied Europe, SOE was created to conduct espionage, sabotage and reconnaissance. British officers were sent to set up networks, or circuits, consisted of a leader, a courier, and a wireless operator. The agents recruited French (in this book) civilians to act as saboteurs, couriers...provide a place to stay or store weapons...and to stand in a field holding tiny flashlights to guide a plane for an air drop of supplies and weapons...
This is the fourth book I've written by the author. I thought "Spark" was the most suspenseful, but "Flames" had me rushing to read what happened next while, at the same time, afraid of what happens next as the shadow of the Gestapo loomed large on every page.
The risks were real - SOE trainees were told the average time an agent survives in France is three months. Informers (even inside the network) were everywhere, Vichy sentries were everywhere, German soldiers were everywhere. Radio operators constantly had to move to avoid the Gestapo spy-catchers.
This book focuses on the Prosper Network, the largest circuit in France. Agents had to cross France from Paris to the Spanish border, and members numbered over 10,000.
The collapse of the Prosper Network - the capture and death of Major Francis Suttill, his agents, and thousands of civilian members, remains among the unsolved mysteries of World War II. We'll never know how much was caused by treachery from inside Prosper, by SOE in London - Major Buckmaster, head of F Section (who neglected to heed so many warnings that his agents had been compromised)... There were rumors that London had offered up Prosper to the Nazis to cover up their plans for the D-Day invasion.
By the end of the war, most of the women of F Section sent to France were missing. Vera Atkins, Buckmaster's assistant, spent almost all of 1946 in France and Germany, attempting to learn the fate of every one of these women who had lit The Spark of Resistance and continued to stoke The Flames of Resistance.
Every agent sent far from home to a lonely fight, cut off from family and friends, should be remembered - their stories must be told, and this book tells them eloquently. I strongly recommend it, and can't wait for the next book. I was an advanced reader for this book and bought a copy to share with friends I've discussed it with. The author's style of writing makes me care about these people and want to know more about them.
As they say, ordinary people doing extraordinary things. The Greatest Generation.
January 17, 2023
A tribute to the women of the Resistance
Four brave women’s story of courage and self-sacrifice in Nazi-occupied France. Four women who would otherwise have led normal lives and would never have thought of becoming heroes. But I guess that’s what being brave means. These women were truly brave and this novel portrays them beautifully.
Being more of a fan of traditional narratives, I found it difficult at first to follow the stories of each of the women in the fragmented structure of this novel, but the more the story progressed and the more it captivated me, the more I looked forward to the next encounter with each of the heroines, like different episodes in a series. The narration is so cinematic that I am sure the story would make an exciting film.
It is a story that has obviously been thoroughly researched, which is always of paramount importance in historical novels. The mention of Parisian landmarks brought back fond memories and helped me feel even more connected to the story - by the way, once in Paris, you must try the hot chocolate at Angelina's on Rue de Rivoli.
An entertaining read that left me with an uplifting feeling despite the unhappy endings to some of these women's stories.
Four brave women’s story of courage and self-sacrifice in Nazi-occupied France. Four women who would otherwise have led normal lives and would never have thought of becoming heroes. But I guess that’s what being brave means. These women were truly brave and this novel portrays them beautifully.
Being more of a fan of traditional narratives, I found it difficult at first to follow the stories of each of the women in the fragmented structure of this novel, but the more the story progressed and the more it captivated me, the more I looked forward to the next encounter with each of the heroines, like different episodes in a series. The narration is so cinematic that I am sure the story would make an exciting film.
It is a story that has obviously been thoroughly researched, which is always of paramount importance in historical novels. The mention of Parisian landmarks brought back fond memories and helped me feel even more connected to the story - by the way, once in Paris, you must try the hot chocolate at Angelina's on Rue de Rivoli.
An entertaining read that left me with an uplifting feeling despite the unhappy endings to some of these women's stories.
February 4, 2023
The Flames of Resistance: Women Spies in World War II, Book 2 is by Kit Sergeant. This book takes up where the last one ends. In fact, they overlap some. The women are in place in France. This book details about what each of them is doing and who they are working with. It also deals with the very real threat of being betrayed.
They realize there is a mole somewhere in the pipeline to England. It is either a mole in the organization itself in London or one or more of the spies have been turned by the Germans. One way or another, the various groups of resistance are being systematically betrayed. Once a spy is caught, they are tortured until they tell who else is involved. Some can hold out and not tell; but others can’t. They only hope they can hold out for forty-eight hours to allow those left to change their places of abode and/or clear out.
However, the resistance is a growing force which is causing the Germans to turn needed manpower back to France rather than using them somewhere else
They realize there is a mole somewhere in the pipeline to England. It is either a mole in the organization itself in London or one or more of the spies have been turned by the Germans. One way or another, the various groups of resistance are being systematically betrayed. Once a spy is caught, they are tortured until they tell who else is involved. Some can hold out and not tell; but others can’t. They only hope they can hold out for forty-eight hours to allow those left to change their places of abode and/or clear out.
However, the resistance is a growing force which is causing the Germans to turn needed manpower back to France rather than using them somewhere else
July 17, 2021
An excellent sequel to The Spark of Resistance.
Another excellent novel about the women of the SOE. I have read several books dealing with the SOE operation and therefore I knew ahead of time the eventual fate of many of the book's characters. From the various books I've read, a common theme emerges, that of the questionable allegiance of Henri Delincourt and the incompetence of Maurice Buckmaster. It seems he was rewarded after WWII but I find him responsible for the capture/execution of many of the SOE personnel.
Another excellent novel about the women of the SOE. I have read several books dealing with the SOE operation and therefore I knew ahead of time the eventual fate of many of the book's characters. From the various books I've read, a common theme emerges, that of the questionable allegiance of Henri Delincourt and the incompetence of Maurice Buckmaster. It seems he was rewarded after WWII but I find him responsible for the capture/execution of many of the SOE personnel.
August 29, 2023
the story of great women
No words can express the debt this world owes to theses brave patriots of World War II. The author does a great job explaining their feeling trials and tribulation. god bless them all . The ones written about and those unknown. God help the world from those insensitive leaders on both sides then and who still hold authority in our present world. Good book good story and good author.
No words can express the debt this world owes to theses brave patriots of World War II. The author does a great job explaining their feeling trials and tribulation. god bless them all . The ones written about and those unknown. God help the world from those insensitive leaders on both sides then and who still hold authority in our present world. Good book good story and good author.
September 4, 2025
Excellent book. Full of action.
Kit knows how to write you into the action and emotion. The story was fast paced and it kept me on my toes. I enjoyed all the characters, and the fact that they were based on real people, made them even more engaging. I don't know how much was true to life, or expanded upon for a good story, but that doesn't detract from any of it. If you enjoy stories based on real people, I highly recommend this one.
Kit knows how to write you into the action and emotion. The story was fast paced and it kept me on my toes. I enjoyed all the characters, and the fact that they were based on real people, made them even more engaging. I don't know how much was true to life, or expanded upon for a good story, but that doesn't detract from any of it. If you enjoy stories based on real people, I highly recommend this one.
March 20, 2023
Great account of the sacrifices of SOE agents !
The SOE was dedicated to sabotage of the German occupation of France, .They blew up railways , destroyed electrical grids and killed Nazis whenever and wherever possible. Read the personal accounts of many of the agents and day "thank you for your sacrifice".
The SOE was dedicated to sabotage of the German occupation of France, .They blew up railways , destroyed electrical grids and killed Nazis whenever and wherever possible. Read the personal accounts of many of the agents and day "thank you for your sacrifice".
May 28, 2023
I enjoyed this as a stand alone book, not as the second in a series as promoted. I wished it had of followed on or come before the first in the series, or extended the same characters stories- I couldn’t connect them to the first book. I then found myself feeling like I was reading a very similar book to number one and getting confused by the characters
November 30, 2023
encouraging & heartbreaking
I knew this book would not end with romance and encouragement from the outset. What it does do is bring to the forefront the courage and valor of the people who headed the Resistance in France and the support of the British. What I didn’t expect was the foolishness of a British intelligence leader. Very enlightening book! Bravo!
I knew this book would not end with romance and encouragement from the outset. What it does do is bring to the forefront the courage and valor of the people who headed the Resistance in France and the support of the British. What I didn’t expect was the foolishness of a British intelligence leader. Very enlightening book! Bravo!
November 29, 2023
A story of bravery of the SOE in France. Well written and documented. The brutality of War and what they had to achieve to defeat the Nazi’s. If you are starting out on the journey of WW11 in France this series is a good starting point.
July 15, 2021
Loved this book!!!
July 30, 2021
The true story of the Prosper Resistance network in France during WWII. Topic never gets old to think of what these brave people did to help the Allied efforts to end the war
August 22, 2021
Remarkable
A remarkable story for all to read and be thankful for how we like today. These people were all heroes.
A remarkable story for all to read and be thankful for how we like today. These people were all heroes.
November 20, 2021
Insight to French Resistence
Thought the story was ok and possible insight to what actually happened. To many names to follow and their actions.
Thought the story was ok and possible insight to what actually happened. To many names to follow and their actions.
October 8, 2023
A real thriller
Could not put this one down. Had it on my phone and read more of it each time I had a moment.
Could not put this one down. Had it on my phone and read more of it each time I had a moment.
October 28, 2023
another great French resistance book
another great French resistance book, such great stories that need to be told. Such courage and loyalty to allies even in the worst conditions.
another great French resistance book, such great stories that need to be told. Such courage and loyalty to allies even in the worst conditions.
September 12, 2025
Historical fiction..............
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews